VfB Stuttgart won 4:1 against Celtic Glasgow in the Europa League playoff first leg, positioning them well for the round of 16. Bilal El Khannouss scored twice, with Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomás adding further goals. The return leg is scheduled for next Thursday in Stuttgart.
At Celtic Park in Glasgow, VfB Stuttgart secured a convincing 4:1 (2:1) victory over Scottish champions Celtic Glasgow. The match was Stuttgart's first European knockout-round game since 2013, marking the initial step toward their first round-of-16 appearance in 13 years.
The game started chaotically: It was interrupted just seconds in when Celtic fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch, as reported by VfB. After resuming, Bilal El Khannouss scored the opener in the 15th minute following a short clearance from Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, a header win by Finn Jeltsch, and a heel pass from Deniz Undav. Captain Atakan Karazor's error in the 21st minute led to Benjamin Nygren's equalizer at 1:1.
El Khannouss quickly responded, heading in the 2:1 goal in the 28th minute from a cross by Angelo Stiller. After halftime, Jamie Leweling capitalized on a counter in the 57th minute, shooting from 20 meters to make it 3:1. Tiago Tomás sealed the 4:1 scoreline in stoppage time (90+3).
Coach Sebastian Hoeneß praised his team's efficiency: "Today we showed what we've been missing: efficiency. We deserved to win. Whether it had to be by this margin, I don't know, but I don't care either." The Stuttgart side remained largely unaffected by the intense atmosphere and dampened the Celtic fans' spirits early. Many home supporters left the stadium prematurely.
Advancing would pit Stuttgart against FC Porto or Sporting Braga. SC Freiburg has already qualified directly for the round of 16. In the return leg, defender Jeff Chabot will be suspended due to a yellow card.
